Life on the farm

It's a perfect week to be back in Illinois. The weather has been in the 70s and 80s every day with no humidity. Lucy is turning into a farm dog, chasing cats, taunting other dogs and taking naps in the shade. (She is still not too fond of being outside while we're inside, but we're working on that.)

We spent three great days with Chad's family, most of it outside. Miriam and Lucy became fast friends and the two of them whiled away the afternoons with walks, games of fetch and plenty of time for hide-and-seek. We had bets on which one of them would wear out first, but they both put on a good front and ran around with each other until about 9 p.m. on Sunday, when all of the adults got tired.

Rachel and I have realized that our past excuses of "it's too hot" or "it's too cold" cannot apply this week, so we must tackle going through the boxes of crap from high school and college that accumulated in our old bedrooms. I'm sure I'll find all sorts of stuff, much of which can promptly be thrown away. Meanwhile, Chad has been tasked with enough outdoor projects to keep him busy for a few days. And Lucy is trying to teach Daniel's wimpy dog Otis to bark when people pull in the driveway, though she is not succeeding.

I have forgotten how laid back and easygoing life on the farm can be. What a great week...and it's only Tuesday.